How will I fix this?
Charlotte's POV
"I need a moment, please," I said to Gavin without looking back, climbing the steps to the wooden front porch.
"Did Luther say something hurtful to you?" he asked.
I almost replied with something sharp but held it back.
"No, this is..." I stopped, swallowing hard and trying to pull myself together. Luther’s hand on my body earlier had left me wanting more. No matter how much I tried to distract myself—even by thinking about the fight we had, my body still reacted. The heat in my veins had not gone, and my body was still aching for him.
"I just miss my dad," I said quietly, placing my hand on the door handle. It was not a complete lie.
"She said she wants to be left alone." I did not need to turn around to know it was Luther’s friend. The same one who once brought up something Gavin said about me.
"Really, Mateo? Have you come to tell Charlotte more lies? Or do you want her too?" Gavin’s voice dripped with bitterness. Just like that, the feeling between my legs disappeared. I clenched my jaw tightly.
"There’s a news reporter looking for…" Mateo stopped when Gavin walked away, fixing his coat like a man with a purpose. Gavin loved attention, but I doubted it was ever that serious.
"There is no reporter, is there?" I asked, letting out a dry laugh. I turned and saw Mateo trying not to laugh.
"Well, you wanted him gone, so I mentioned something he would care about," he said, putting his hands into his pockets and glancing out at the lake, where Luther was talking with his brother and a beautiful woman. I looked away quickly. I could not stop myself from wishing I were the one beside him.
"You know she’s just a paid date, right?" Mateo asked, probably picking up on my obvious reaction.
I let out a weak laugh. "You don’t have to make things up to comfort me."
"I am not making anything up. And by the way, I don’t think we have officially met. My name is Mateo." He walked up the steps and held out his right hand. I hesitated, but when he smiled for real, I gave him my hand for the first time.
"Charlotte," I said simply, wanting nothing more than to go inside.
"I want to talk to you," he said directly, pushing the door open.
"I thought you heard me telling Gavin I wanted to be alone." I looked at the door and his hand, not liking the fact that he was inviting himself in.
"I am serious," I added when he did not step back.
"You really are perfect for Luther," he said with a slight grin. "The problem is that both of you are too stubborn to realise how much you mean to each other."
I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. I had stepped away from the event to get a break from Luther, and yet here was his friend, following me to talk about him. I was close to snapping when Mateo raised his hands and stepped back, still smiling.
"But let me say this, if Luther falls back into who he was seven years ago, I will blame you completely. Just hope it does not get to that point, because you will be responsible."
His tone changed. The smile was gone. His eyes looked serious now. Could Luther have been telling the truth?
"Are you threatening me?" I raised my eyebrows, my thoughts spinning.
"If that is how you take it, then yes," he said, pulling out his phone.
"He is the one who keeps hurting me. Is it wrong to finally stand up for myself? Oh wait, you are just like him, a player who expects women to always forgive!" My voice got louder as I took deeper breaths.
"It is wrong to make quick judgments, Charlotte," he said calmly, which surprised me.
"What Luther told you was the truth, but you still called him a liar. Let me tell you this: Luther has never lied to win over a woman. He does not need to. He could have anyone he wants without saying a single word."
His words pierced through me, sending a sharp ache through my chest.
"But for you, he shared the deepest truth. Something he has never spoken about since it happened, not to me, not even to his brother. He gave you a part of himself he had locked away. She broke him completely. So much that he tried to take his own life."
A gasp escaped my lips. I stepped back, pressing a hand to my chest as my heart pounded painfully.
"You do not believe me? Look at this."
Mateo typed quickly and scrolled through his phone before handing it over to me. My hands shook as I took it.
I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. My knees buckled, and I had to lean on the door to keep from collapsing onto the wooden floor. On the screen was a photo of a much younger Luther. He was on oxygen, tubes running from his body, his legs tied to the bedframe. An IV was hooked into his arm.
"That was Luther, one month after he found out that Brittany was using him… with Gavin’s father."
My mind barely registered anything else. Just that name. Brittany. He had refused to say it before, and now I understood why.
"At first, he seemed fine. But slowly, he started to sink. By the time we noticed, it was already too late. He was drinking heavily, fighting, and sleeping with women just to forget her. The heartbreak led him to overdose on painkillers. He was about to jump off a ten-storey building. If I had not found him… he would be dead now."
I did not realise I was crying until I felt the tears tickle down my cheeks. I brushed at them, trembling.
"I... I am so sorry," I whispered, pushing the door open and sinking onto the couch. The same couch where Luther had kissed me so deeply, I forgot the world.
"I am not the one you should apologise to," Mateo said, closing the door gently behind him.
"I am not excusing the way he treated you. I just want you to understand why. He loved someone once and was betrayed. For seven years, he refused to feel anything for anyone. Then you came along, and he could not control how he felt. He was terrified of history repeating itself. So he pushed you away, until he could not anymore. And when he finally opened up, what did you do?"
He paused. His words hit harder than anything before.
"I should have let him explain that night," I whispered to myself, my heart sinking.
"You shouted at him. You accused him of something so awful… of sending people to scare you. Do you remember that?" Mateo said softly.
I covered my ears. The guilt was too much. My chest ached, tears fell faster, and my breathing grew shallow.
"I did not kn-know," I stammered. My mind went blank.
"Now you do. But there is one more thing," he said, and I held my breath.
"One of those men... was there to protect you."
My head lifted, eyes squinting through the tears.
"Yes. Luther asked me to send someone to keep an eye on you. He found out your life could be in danger."
"No…" I shook my head, the realisation hitting me like a wave.
"He called your name because he had your information. That man was there to defend you. If he had not been there… you could have been seriously hurt, or even worse. Luther may not be perfect, but he loves you. He really does."
Mateo stopped talking. A heavy silence filled the room.
"What have I done?" I murmured, hiding my face in my hands, my whole body trembling.
"That is for you to figure out," he said gently. "I am sorry if I ruined your day. But someone had to tell you the truth. Because Luther would never say it himself. Enjoy the rest of the day."
And just like that, he left me alone.
Tears poured from my eyes. My shoulders shook. A loud, broken sob escaped my lips.
"H…how will I fix this?"
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